The Historic Winter Storms Quiz

Do you love winter weather? Test your knowledge with this winter weather storm quiz, and maybe you'll wish spring was on its way.

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Question 1 of 30

A winter storm that brings rain or snow along with coastal flooding and hurricane-force winds to the northeastern U.S. is called?

Yankee blizzard

nor'easter

A nor'easter is a cyclonic storm that dumps heavy rain or snow, causes coastal flooding and brings hurricane-force winds from a northeasterly direction. This type of storm typically affects the northeastern portion of the U.S.

Alberta Clipper

Question 2 of 30

Which Victorian-era storm brought massive snowfall and bone-chilling temperatures that left more than 400 people dead from New England to the Chesapeake?

The blizzard of 1888

The blizzard of 1888 left New York City buried in 22 inches of snow. Drifts on Long Island measured up to 50 feet and wind gusts up to 80 miles per hour were reported, along with more than 400 casualties.

The 1980 Nor'easter

The Great Snow of '98

Question 3 of 30

What year did the President's Day blizzard shut down cities from Boston to Washington D.C.?

2001

2002

2003

The President's Day blizzard of 2003 began on Feb. 14, 2003 and lasted five days. It caused $20 million in damage.

Question 4 of 30

The blizzard of 1967 dumped 23 inches of snow on which Midwestern U.S. city?

Columbus

Chicago

The Chicago blizzard of 1967 hit on Jan. 26 and left nearly 50,000 automobiles stranded on Chicago roadways.

St. Louis

Question 5 of 30

Which turn-of-the-century storm blanketed Southern states with record-setting snowfall and freezing temperatures?

The Great Blizzard of 1899

The Great Blizzard of 1899 began in eastern Canada but intensified as it moved through the Southern United States. The storm set records for snowfall and freezing temperatures, many of which continue to stand as record totals today.

The 1999 blizzard

The blizzard of 1901

Question 6 of 30

Nor'easters only occur during the winter months.

TRUE

FALSE

While nor'easters are more frequent and stronger from September to April, the storms' "season" is broad. Nor'easters can actually occur any time of year.

Question 7 of 30

What year did the Super Bowl blizzard cause more than $63 million in property damage and claim at least 60 lives?

1970

1975

The great storm of 1975 raged during Super Bowl weekend, spawning 45 tornadoes and dropping as much as two feet of snow across the Midwest. By the time the storm subsided, it had cause at least $63 million in property damage and claimed at least 60 lives.

1980

Question 8 of 30

What nickname was given to the February 2010 blizzard that dumped record snowfall on the Washington D.C.-Baltimore area?

Snowmageddon

The blizzard that hit Baltimore and Washington D.C. on Feb. 5, 2010, was nicknamed Snowmageddon. The severity of the storm prompted officials in both Maryland and Virginia to declare states of emergency.

Snowfest

Mega Snow

Question 9 of 30

The Armistice Day blizzard struck the Midwest region of the U.S. in what year?

1920

1930

1940

The Armistice Day blizzard blanketed the upper Midwest with over a foot of snow on Nov. 11, 1940. Freezing temperatures and winds up to 60 miles per hour claimed 150 lives and left thousands of livestock dead.

Question 10 of 30

Why is snow white?

Light is reflected.

The light that hits the snow is reflected at so many angles that no single wavelength of color is reflected with any consistency, causing the reflected light to be white.

Light is absorbed.

Light passes through.

Question 11 of 30

What was the name of the 1991 nor'easter that resulted in a movie of the same name?

The Deadliest Storm

The Perfect Storm

The 1991 nor'easter was given the name The Perfect Storm. Three large weather systems collided off the coast of New England and claimed 12 lives, including all six aboard the Andrea Gail.

The Terrible Storm

Question 12 of 30

Which city did this 2006 blizzard dump 26.9 inches of snow on?

New York City

The New York City blizzard of 2006 dropped a total of 26.9 inches and was the largest snowfall the city had seen since 1947.

Chicago

Boston

Question 13 of 30

Which country has had the largest 24-hour snowfall on record?

Greenland

Sweden

Italy

On March 5, 2015, Capracotta, Italy, received 100.8 inches of snow in approximately 18 hours. The previous record was held by Mount Ibuki, Japan, where 90.6 inches of snow fell in a 24-hour period in 1927.

Question 14 of 30

What year was the Mount Shasta, California, storm that dropped a record 189 inches of snow?

1958

1959

A February 1959 snowstorm in California dumped 189 inches of snow over six days, including on Mount Shasta. According to Weather Underground, this is a world record for a single snowstorm.

1960

Question 15 of 30

What was the name of the 1922 blizzard that killed 98 people in Washington D.C.?

The Washington Blizzard

The Blizzard of Virginia

The Knickerbocker Storm

The Knickerbocker Storm dropped between 28 and 33 inches of snow. The roof of the Knickerbocker Theatre In Washington, D.C. collapsed and killed 98 people.

Question 16 of 30

Which U.S. state holds the record for 24-hour snowfall?

Colorado

The official U.S. record for 24-hour snowfall is 75.8 inches measured at Silver Lake, Colorado, on April 14, 1927.

Montana

Alaska

Question 17 of 30

Sudden and rapid freezing of soil can cause a phenomenon known as frostquakes.

TRUE

Cryoseisms, known colloquially as frostquakes, are caused when extremely cold temperatures quickly freeze moisture trapped in soil and bedrock. The frozen earth expands and can cause tremors and loud explosion-like noises.

FALSE

Question 18 of 30

According to the National Weather Service, a blizzard is defined by large amounts of snow or blowing snow, along with winds exceeding 35 miles per hour and visibility of less than what distance?

one mile

1/2 mile

1/4 mile

The National Weather Service defines a blizzard as large amounts of snow, winds exceeding 35 mph and visibility of less than 1/4 mile.

Question 19 of 30

Where was the lowest temperature in the U.S. recorded?

North Dakota

Alaska

The lowest temperature in recorded U.S. history was 80 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (minus 62 Celsius). It was catalogued at Prospect Creek Camp in Alaska on Jan. 23, 1971.

Montana

Question 20 of 30

The Schoolchildren's blizzard of 1888 took place in which U.S. geographic region?

Northwest Plains

The Schoolchildren's blizzard in January 1888 took place in the Northwest Plains. Approximately 235 people were killed by the storm, most of them children.

New England

Ohio River Valley

Question 21 of 30

What was the name of the storm that hit the eastern United States in 1993 and affected 26 states?

The Eastern Blizzard

The Storm of the Century

The Storm of the Century dumped snow for three days across the eastern U.S. from New York to Alabama. Tornadoes, flooding and snowfall left 2.5 million people without power for days and claimed 270 lives.

The '93 Nor'easter

Question 22 of 30

Thundersnow can generate thunder and lightening.

TRUE

Thundersnow can happen when a warm layer of air close to the ground rises through colder air and causes instability.

FALSE

Question 23 of 30

What year did the Dallas ice storm interrupt Super Bowl XLV activities?

2009

2010

2011

In February 2011, an ice storm covered Dallas in a layer of ice causing flight cancellations, power outages and highway closures.

Question 24 of 30

What is the fear of being trapped by snow called?

snowphobia

chionophobia

Chionophobia is the fear of snow or being trapped by snow.

agoraphobia

Question 25 of 30

How many sides do snowflakes have?

six

Molecular charges determine the way the ice crystals bond together. This process causes snowflakes to have six sides.

eight

ten

Question 26 of 30

What year did the Halloween nor'easter leave 3 million people on the East Coast without power?

2010

2011

The Halloween Nor'easter began Oct. 29, 2011, and dropped record snowfalls on more than 20 cities on the East Coast, causing major power outages and claiming nine lives.